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Boxer Tyson Fury’s plans to build a lavish Grand Design-style house with pool, jacuzzi and home cinema have been rejected by the council over fears of disturbing rare bats.
The former heavyweight champion, 36, had applied to Cheshire East Council to demolish his existing mansion and replace it with a new luxury six-bed new build in Cheshire‘s “Golden Triangle”, popular with celebs and footballers.
However, the plans were not even considered out of concerns that “hibernating bats” from a protected species could be in the existing eight-bedroom mansion.
Council conservation officer James Baggaley said the boxer will have to wait until this winter before the plans can be examined in light of a new survey in six months’ time.
The potentially hibernating bats are not the only stumbling block facing the planned mansion and there are also concerns about an oak tree on the site.
Officials have suggested building the new property in a different area to protect the tree or “modifying the building footprint to avoid encroachment into the root protection area of the oak tree.”
The council have said the mansion will now only get planning permission if “the development is of overriding public interest” and “there are no suitable alternatives”.
Plans to build the new mansion were withdrawn earlier this month, as revealed on Cheshire East Council’s website.
The withdrawn plans also included the option of extending or modifying the existing mansion.
The bats were discovered on a previous survey of the building, but it is not known if they are hibernating in the building, which is located in Cheshire’s “Golden Triangle”.
The name was given to the area because of its affluence, and it is a popular location for celebrities living in the area.
Should the boxer attempt to apply for planning permission again, he will have to include a biodiversity proposal “for the provision of features for nesting birds including house sparrow and, gaps in garden fences to facilitate the movement of hedgehogs, native species planting.”
The current mansion will be familiar to fans of the boxer as it featured in the hit Netflix show At Home With the Furys.
The Independent has reached out to a representative for Tyson Fury and Cheshire East Council for comment.
